Located off this home’s great room, a basket of blankets keeps the lounging area comfortable well into the fall.

Designers Sarah Richardson and Natalie Hodgins sit with homeowner Susan Sinclair-Brockelsby and her daughter, Lauren next to a rugged fieldstone fireplace. The space is approached as an extension of the interior, equipped with a cosy striped rug, cushions handsomely upholstered in indoor-outdoor fabrics, and woven textures for added warmth.

A striking outdoor fireplace stretches up to the ceiling on this covered sandstone kitchen terrace. A shallow bench lets guests get close to warmth while meals are being cooked on the Kalamazoo charcoal barbecue.

A monolithic granite fireplace rises up on the shores of artist Martha Sturdy’s cottage in British Columbia. Martha and her husband David Wardle added the patio and built-in barbecue to the Preston Island property, but left the exterior unchanged. Flats of thyme grown by Martha’s son, Jordan, are planted between the rocks to give off a fragrant aroma.

A double-sided fireplace gets extra credit for keeping guests warm on the patio as well as inside on a cool nights. A unique herringbone pattern makes this chimney breast particularly eye-catching. A pair of arm chairs and a small table are all that’s required for complete relaxation.

Toronto interior designer Sharon Mimran took a formal approach when designing this ethanol-burning fireplace in her own backyard. “I wanted the exterior to look as if it were a part of the interior design. All of the elements I used inside the house — mouldings, panelling, mirrors — I used in the yard,” she explains. A weatherproof faux-limestone resin mantel stands up to harsh weather. Take a video tour through Sharon Mimran’s home.

This fireplace serves as the main focal point in this Ontario cottage pool house, an effect emphasized by strong vertical lines that draw the eye up to the peaked roof. A pile of chopped wood sits close at hand on chilly nights.

A low, circular Turkish grill breaks up the strong horizontal lines in this patio space, which includes a lounge and bar area. The grill can be used as a barbecue or fire pit, and its copper hue complements the woodgrain.